(A sample chapter from the Arthurian tale The Killing Sword.)
© 2011 asotir.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.
VII. The Knight of Two Swords
WHILE THIS WAS BEING DONE, Merlyn came upon that place, unlooked-for as his wont. And seeing all that King Mark did Merlyn said,
‘Here shall take place the greatest battle between two knights that ever was or ever shall be, and they shall be as like as brothers and the truest of all lovers. And yet neither of them shall die from it, and neither slay the other.’
And upon the tomb in letters of gold, Merlyn wrote their names:
SIR LANCELOT OF THE LAKE
&
SIR TRISTRAM
‘You are a marvelous man,’ said King Mark, ‘to foretell such marvels. And yet you look like a boisterous man and unlikely to know of such things. What is your name?’
‘At this time,’ answered Merlyn, ‘I will not tell it. But at that time when Sir Tristram is taken with his sovereign lady, then you shall hear and know my name. And at that time, King Mark, you shall hear tidings that shall not please you.’
Then Merlyn turned to Balyn and said, ‘You did yourself great hurt because you failed to save this lady from her own self-harm. You could have saved her if you would.’
‘By the faith of my body,’ said Balyn, ‘I might not save her, she slew herself too suddenly.’
‘That will prove a great sorrow,’ said Merlyn. ‘Because of the death of that lady, Balyn, you shall strike a stroke, the most dolorous that ever man struck except the stroke that slew our Lord. For you shall hurt the truest knight and the man of most worship that now lives. And through that stroke three kingdoms shall lie in poverty, misery, and wretchedness for twelve years, and the knight shall not be healed of that wound for many years.’
Then Merlyn turned from Balyn and Balan. Balyn was pale with anger and dismay at those words. ‘If I knew that what you tell is true,’ he said, ‘I should so put my life in peril that I would slay myself, to make you a liar.’
‘No man will make his fate a liar,’ said Merlyn. Then he turned under the tree and was gone.
‘Forget that man’s words,’ said Balan, ‘for men love dearly to speak riddles and pretend to know what will come, but for the most part their foretelling comes to nought. We will win you back the love of the king, and then avenge the Naked Damsel, and all will be well with us. And first of all have we to do with King Ryons.’
‘King Ryons,’ said King Mark. ‘What is this talk of yours about King Ryons?’
‘Only this, that we mean to go in search of him and put him down for King Arthur’s sake.’
‘You will not need to search far,’ the king told them. ‘For I can tell you where he is, and it is nearer this place than you could guess. I have ridden hard from the west to tell my lord Arthur of the landing of this King Ryons. He has fallen upon the Castle Terrabil with all his under-kings, and puts it to the siege.’
‘Then, lord, we must take our leave of you, and right soon,’ said Balyn.
‘First,’ said the king, ‘tell me your name.’ But Balyn held his tongue.
‘Sire,’ said Balan, ‘you can see he wears two swords. So he shall be known as the Knight of Two Swords.’
‘Then we will have right need of you, Knight of Two Swords. For when Castle Terrabil falls, then King Ryons will lay waste to all the countryside unto Camelot, unless the king, his barons, and all true knights can stop him.’
Then King Mark took his way to Camelot, to join his army to Arthur’s command. But Balyn and his brother rode on westward toward King Ryons. And as they rode together, they met a churlish man on the road.
‘Where do you ride?’ asked the man.
‘We have no reason,’ answered Balan, ‘to tell such as you.’
‘But what is your name?’ asked Balyn, peering at the man’s face.
‘At this time,’ the man said, ‘I will not tell you that.’
‘It seems unlikely that you are a true man, if you will not tell us your name.’
‘As for that,’ said the man, ‘be it as it may. But I can tell you the reason why you ride this way. Is it not to meet King Ryons? But you will gain nothing for it without my counsel.’
‘Ah,’ said Balyn, ‘you are Merlyn! Advise us then, and we will be ruled by your counsel.’
‘Follow me then,’ said Merlyn, ‘and I will show you how you shall have great worship. And look that you strive as true knights, for you shall have great need of strength and courage both.’
‘As for that,’ said Balyn, ‘never fear. We will do what we may.’
